Conversations
by VictoriaGrant
Summary: A series of phone conversations, movie term but with two characters that don t interact in the movie in the center, so you might say I have twisted the plot- Maria/Georg of course!
1. A problem named Maria

_Hey everyone, I´m planning to write several of those phone conversations, taking place after every important event in the movie- please tell me if you like it and if I should continue, it´s a bit unconventional but I thought I´d mix up two really unexpected characters and personally I found it interesting to see the captain interact with someone who really knows him and can see through him, so he won´t bother to try and pretend - well, let me know what you think :)_

"I suppose you think this is awfully funny, don´t you."

The accusing tone in her nephew´s voice made the old lady smile.

She held the phone close to her ear as she sat down behind her desk and leaned back in her chair, readying herself for the confrontation she was about to have with the stubborn man.

"Georg, how nice of you to call."

"Don´t try to distract me, aunt Elisabeth, it is not going to work- what were you thinking, sending me this- this-" he struggled for words and the Reverend Mother smiled amusedly while waiting for him to finish the sentence.

"I believe the word you are looking for is girl."

She told him and he snorted impatiently.

"Girl- yes, that´s a perfect word to describe her, an insolent, childish girl with her head in the clouds."

"Maria is neither insolent nor childish, Georg, though I admit we could agree on the heads in the clouds thing but that´s not necessarily negative."

"Of course it is- she´s here as a governess, how are you expecting her to drill any discipline into the children? She´s going to turn everything upside down."

"Perhaps you need someone to turn things upside down" Elisabeth replied smoothly, her tone a bit sterner now but of course the man on the other end wasn´t impressed by it.

"I beg your pardon, I don´t need that, it´s about the last thing I need- I need a governess, not a wispy, twirling fairy tale princess dressed in rags."

"I thought you wouldn´t like the dress but she´s really good at making clothes, just get her some material- blue, preferably."

"Why exactly do you care so much?"

Georg asked, now sounding suspicious.

"Is this another attempt to set me up?"

"I wouldn´t dream of it, what are you thinking- besides she´s too young for you."

"She is not" he protested instantly, then added "I mean that doesn´t matter anyway, she is impossible."

"She is a very pretty girl though, isn´t she" the old nun said innocently, her fine smile widening.

"Well- all right, she is pretty but what is that to you, I thought you were glad for every girl that wants to enter your ridiculous abbey, why are you so keen on getting rid of her?"

"I am not- I simply believe that she isn´t made for living as a nun."

"Oh, I can confirm that- she is made for causing trouble."

The Reverend Mother laughed softly, that sounded indeed like Maria and she was glad that she had made such a wonderful decision when her nephew had requested a new governess and sent the young woman there- Maria would do a wonderful job showing Georg how to live again and at the same time helping the children discovering how to be children in every sense of the word.

"What did she do, anyway- she can´t have been there for more than an hour, surely she can´t have caused you that much agony yet."

"Oh, it´s just everything about her, her attitude, her clothes, her hair- and she contradicted me, in front of the children."

"The whistle again?"

"Yes- what is wrong about the whistle, it´s effective."

He sounded like a child who had been told to give up on his favorite toy and Elisabeth fondly remembered the little dark haired boy who had unwrapped presents underneath his parent´s Christmas tree so many years ago, his blue eyes sparkling with excitement.

Now he was withholding that kind of joy from is own children and his aunt couldn´t do much- except trying to interfere from afar and this time it turned out to have worked splendidly.

"Give her a chance, Georg- you are leaving for Vienna tomorrow if I´m not mistaken, just see what has happened when you get back."

"I shudder to imagine it" he growled, then sighed.

"All right, I will let her stay- but if she hasn´t improved when I get home you will take her back right away."

"Of course I will take her back if you send her away but you won´t do it, you´ll see, you will fall under her spell sooner or later, everyone does."

"Don´t set your heart on that- I´m planning to propose to Elsa soon and then I won´t need a governess anymore."

"Of course- I hope you aren´t mistaken again, my dear boy."

"What would I need a governess for when the children have a new mother?"

He protested but there was something in his voice that told his aunt plainly that he didn´t believe in the baroness´s motherly qualities anymore than she did.

"You can answer that for yourself- Maria doesn´t know about us being related and it would be best if you wouldn´t tell her either."

"Why, do you think she´ll be upset with you if she learns that you made her put up with me despite knowing me personally?"

Came his sarcastic reply.

"That´s just the reason, Georg- I suppose I will talk to you when you are back from Vienna?"

"Yes- so have a nice month, aunt Elisabeth- you will without doubt, now I have to deal with your troublemaker."

"You won´t deal with her, you won´t be at home."

"That is wrong as well now?"

"You know my point of view- have a good time in Vienna, we will talk when you get back."


	2. Home sweet home

**Thank you all very much for the reviews- I have decided to have a little bit of plot in here as well, hope you don´t mind.**

_addlogcon: Thank you very much- lol, I somehow thought Georg needs someone he can´t terrify with one look to deflate him a bit from time to time ;)_

_ForeverJulie: Aw, thank you- I´m glad you enjoyed it, here´s the next part now :D_

_Maria88: Thanks a lot :) So here´s the next part, after he comes back from Vienna ;)_

_mvfan: Aw, thanks :D I didn´t plan to make them related first, I just wanted to write a phone call from Georg to the convent where he complains about Maria and then I thought it would be fun to have a personal relationship between the characters, so it´s possible to show the captain from a different angle with someone he can´t hide his true feelings from._

_Maxisback: Thank you- yes, that´s what I thought, it works better than I had expected though- but well, no risk, no fun lol- please keep reading!_

_rcfan77: Thank you :D_

"Is she coming back today?"

"Oh, make no mistake, I did fire her when I got back, immediately."

The captain smiled when his aunt gasped indignantly and added "I took it back though."

"You aren´t expecting me to believe this, do you- taking it back would have meant to apologize to her."

The smile vanished from Georg´s face as he crossly replied "I didn´t have a choice, you see, the children seem to love her."

"Of course they do, Maria is the loveliest person imaginable."

"She made play clothes for them- from the drapes in her room, can you imagine that?"

"As far as I know she did a lot more, there was a lot of talk about it here."

"Brilliant, are you telling me that everyone in Salzburg knows about my children climbing trees and running around in the hills?"

"And singing" his aunt informed him cheerfully and Captain von Trapp shook his head in exasperation.

"So I´ve heard- though I have to admit the singing is rather enjoyable."

"I´m sure of that, Maria does have many talents and her voice might as well be the biggest one."

"I havn´t heard her sing, only the children- but they seem to have quite a talent as well."

"As do you, I believe- nothing of that has been bad enough to give you a reason to fire her, though."

"Oh, it wasn´t about that- when I got back she and the children were in a boat out on the lake and a moment later they were all in the lake- I admit I didn´t appreciate the humiliation, especially in front of Elsa."

He heard his aunt chuckle softy and now, after he had calmed down again, he could appreciate the irony of him, Austria´s most famous navel hero, watching his children fall out of a boat without so much as a breeze disturbing the lake water.

"Yes, yes, it is all very funny- honestly, aunt Elisabeth, the girl is going to drive me insane."

"She´s actually challenging you, isn´t she."

"The children tried to get rid of her the first day she was here- they put a pine cone onto her seat."

"The poor girl- what did she do?"

"She told me this was for her rheumatism- then she started talking about some present the children had given her but she wouldn´t tell me what it had been and she made the children feel so guilty they all started to cry- it turned out it had been a toad."

"Disgusting" his aunt commentated and Georg couldn´t help but laugh.

"Oh, yes, it was- you remember that dreadful thunderstorm that night?"

"I do- are your children still afraid of them?"

"How do you know about that?"

"Agathe told me about that once" was the soft reply, then "so what happened?"

"I found all of them in her room- they were jumping around and singing."

"An excellent way of distraction if you ask me- I take it you acted very stern and unforgiving."

"Don´t mock me, I somehow had to try and get through to her that I want her to play by my rules after all."

"It doesn´t seem to have been very effective."

"Well- no, I suppose not- I will have to allow her to go on with her chaotic ways though, the children wouldn´t stand for anything else."

"And of course you won´t have much time, after all you have to entertain your guests."

The captain couldn´t detect any sarcasm in his aunt´s voice though he was sure she still wasn´t happy about him bringing Elsa Schräder home with him.

"Aunt Elisabeth, I am very fond of Elsa- we make a very sensible match."

"Listen to you- a sensible match- do you remember the way you used to talk about Agathe when you met her? You were going on and on how much you loved her and how happy you were to have found her- fondness doesn´t sound like a very good basis for a marriage to me."

"It´s different now, I´m not that inexperienced boy anymore, I have learned a few things about life- and one of them is that it´s not enjoyable to be alone."

"I didn´t ask you to remain alone, Georg, I merely pointed out that you don´t sound as though you were in love and that you shouldn´t marry anyone if you are not."

"Half of the marriages in my social circles aren´t based on love, most people can´t afford to wait around for love- and they don´t even want to."

"Well, it is your life- you should consider the children though."

"What do they have to do with it?"

"They will have to live with whoever you decide to marry and they will have to endure your temper when you realize you aren´t happy."

"I will be happy, why shouldn´t I."

"You are being stubborn, Georg but you always have been and always will be, so there is no point to discuss this further- now tell me what happened with Maria earlier."

"She yelled at me- she told me what an impossible father I was and that I wouldn´t know my children and that I´d better change my attitude- I told her to stop but she replied she wasn´t finished yet and went on and on until I told her she was to pack her bags and return to the abbey on the spot. Then I head the children sing and I have to admit that I was moved by it- so much actually that I asked the horrible little troublemaker to please stay in the house, I still can´t believe I did by the way."

He added, glad that his aunt couldn´t see the small smile that was playing around his lips when he bid her goodbye and ended the phone connection.

Yes, he was amused, this- girl- had actually managed to make him smile- she also had managed to make him lose his composure and that actually worried him much more than his amusement.

He didn´t lose his composure, for nothing- usually it was more than enough to adopt his icy attitude and everyone around him caved in instantly- except that girl.

She had surprised him, it wasn´t her outspokenness, he had met that kind of behavior before but usually it was accompanied by little wit- with her this wasn´t the case, she wasn´t only forward but also smart and judging by the way his children had performed their song earlier she had a great knowledge about music as well as a gift to teach- Georg had to admit that he had underestimated her.

When he had first seen her he had thought her to be a rather plain girl, like the ones who usually ran away to join the abbey because it was either that or the hard work on a farm.

Maria didn´t seem to fit into his pattern, she was too bright and too well educated, not only for her social status but also for her age.

His aunt had told him Maria was twenty two- so very, very young, he himself was almost twice her age and yet she managed to get the better of him over and over again.

She wouldn´t listen to his commands, wouldn´t play by his rules and as much as it annoyed him somehow it was refreshing- the captain could hardly remember the last time anyone had not obeyed him.

Well, Elsa didn´t but it was only for show, in the end she would act as he expected her to act, she only masked it by claiming that she simply lived up to the rules society set because she believed in them herself.

He thought about his aunt´s words- no, he didn´t love Elsa, not in the way he had loved Agathe- he hadn´t even thought about this until now, he was over forty and had seven children to think of, love wasn´t important, he needed a wife to run his household and he needed a female role model in the house for his daughters- he didn´t fool himself in thinking that Elsa would be interested in being a mother to the children when it came to reading bedtime stories and playing with them but where would he get a woman who actually could want that- any woman near his age who wanted a marriage and children had that already.

Elsa obviously hadn´t wanted children and instead had chosen to spend her money and time on travels, parties and clothes, rather than on dolls and chocolate for little girls.

Still she was more than interested in marrying him so she couldn´t be too disturbed by the existence of the children- though she probably would ask him to consider a boarding school for them which of course he would refuse.

The sound of voices from outside his study interrupted his thoughts, it sounded like Marta and Kurt and he got up to see what was happening, thinking how odd it was that he even cared, a month ago he would have expected the governess to take care of it.

When he arrived outside Kurt was nowhere to be seen and he found only Marta and Maria, the former in tears while the young woman had her arms around the little girl, trying to soothe her.

"Stop crying, Darling, we´ll go to my room and I´ll repair it, shall we?"

Georg watched Marta nod, then Maria straightened up and lifted the girl into her arms, thereby she spotted him.

"I´m sorry, Sir, I didn´t see you."

Marta smiled at her father, her face still tearstained but Georg noticed the way his daughter had put her head onto Maria´s shoulder, so full of trust.

"Kurt ripped Lisa´s dress" she told him and for a moment Georg felt confused, then he remembered that Marta had named the doll she had gotten for Christmas Lisa and that the doll was wearing a pink dress Marta adored more than anything else she possessed.

"We´ll go and sow it now" Maria added, still stroking Marta´s back.

"Maria can repair everything" Marta confidently informed her father, causing Maria to blush.

"Only small things, Marta- excuse us please, Sir, we should fix this before it is time for dinner."

"Of course- shall I speak with Kurt about this?"

"Oh, no, he is in his room now, thinking about not destroying his sister´s toys and he promised to give Marta his dessert tonight."

"He did?"

The captain asked, amazed- his son loved eating more than anything and he couldn´t imagine how Maria had managed to make him give up on his dessert.

"He offered himself, he seems to feel rather guilty- we will see you later, Sir."

Maria carried Marta down the corridor, leaving Georg feeling confused.


	3. Of puppets and children

"You are calling for the second time in one week?"

"Stop sounding so amused, I´m feeling at loss and you should at least try and be supportive, after all you are responsible for all the trouble."

"I am not, you are responsible for the trouble, my dear boy, I merely send you someone to make you see them at last."

"How is it that you always manage to twist things to your advantage? Usually I am the one who does it but with you it never works- well, with her it doesn´t either, perhaps it´s the wimple."

"I assure you it isn´t, I simply know you too well and Maria- she simply is unique."

Georg chuckled despite his better knowledge.

"Unique- that´s another term to describe it- though I have to admit I´m starting to get rather taken with the girl- she has an impeccable way to handle the children."

"I told you you would warm up to her- you said you were at loss though, what is the matter?"

"Oh, I can´t really put my finger onto it- it´s just a feeling, having Elsa here and seeing the children react to her- or rather not react to her- it simply doesn´t fell right- I know it sounds confusing and it´s just a feeling, really, it makes me feel stupid."

"Do you love her, Georg?"

"Well, I suppose so."

"Really? Do you feel the same way about her you felt about Agathe?"

"No but isn´t that normal? I don´t think it´s possible to feel the exact same way about two different persons."

"That is not what I mean, Georg, are you feeling something for Elsa that has the same intensity your feelings for Agathe had because if you are not, you really should ask yourself if you are simply marrying her because it´s the easiest way to stop people from asking why you don´t."

"An excellent point, aunt Elisabeth- I will think about this."

"Stop being so sarcastic with me, it isn´t my fault that you are so determined to ruin your life and the children´s along the way."

"Thank you very much, why am I even talking to you about this?"

"You are talking to me because you know that I won´t lie to you to make you feel better."

"And that is desirable?"

"Obviously- now stop bickering with me and do something a little more sensible with your time."

"Like what?"

"Like spending some time with your children."

"I will never understand how you ever became Reverend Mother."

"Not all my girls are Saints when they come here, some need some sharp words and most need a lot of advice- but why am I telling that to you, you should know that by now."

"I do indeed- I´ll go and try to find the little horrors then, I will call you next week again."

"Goodbye then, Georg."

The Captain hung up and shook his head, sometimes his aunt actually managed to shock him.

And now he was supposed to go and find the children- they most likely would be out in the garden, doing whatever the insolent girl had come up with to disturb the piece and quiet of his house this time.

Elsa hadn´t even gotten up yet- well, it was barely noon, of course she was still asleep.

He made his way out onto the terrace where he found Max drinking coffee and reading the paper, his face lightening up when he saw the captain.

"Hello- where have you been?"

"On the phone, Max- are the children out in the garden?"

"They are inside, they are unpacking the puppets."

"Should that be worrying me?"

"Probably- but knowing your adorable governess she´ll manage it just fine."

"That was exactly what was worrying me- I think I´ll go and have a look."

"You do that- I´ll wait for Elsa."

"Not having a busy day, do you."

"Do I detect sarcasm in your voice, Georg? You aren´t already tired of waiting for her."

"Of course not- I´ll be inside."

It wasn´t hard to find the children, the excited voices were coming from the ballroom and the captain quietly pushed the door open wide enough to enter.

The stage had been erected the day before and now his children were huddled around several boxes that contained a whole collection of puppets- the captain smiled slightly, he had to give that to Max Dettweiler, if he organized something he did it well.

"Father" Gretl exclaimed when she spotted him and came over to him with a puppet in form of a small goat.

"Look, isn´t it sweet?"

He picked his youngest up from the floor and examined the small puppet.

"It is indeed- what do you need goats for though?"

"I can´t tell you" Gretl explained importantly, "it´s a secret Fräulein Maria told us."

"Oh- I see."

Georg´s eyes found the young woman sitting on the floor next to Brigitta, holding yet another puppet, this one a blonde girl with a pink coat.

The captain set Gretl back down on the floor and walked over to the boxes where the other children still were examining the puppets, he smiled when Maria looked up at him.

"Hello- Max told me I would find you all in here."

"The children were so excited about the puppets- you do not mind that we are unpacking them straight away, do you?"

The captain couldn´t help but notice how incredibly blue her eyes were as she looked up at him, seeking his approval.

"No- no, of course not- do you want to start practicing now or shall I tell Frau Schmidt to serve lunch first?"

"Is it so late already?"

"It´s almost twelve."

"Then I think we should have lunch first, I think it´s going to rain later anyway."

"It looks like it, yes."

What was he doing, talking about the weather?

Was he trying to find an excuse to talk to her longer than was necessary?

He felt Brigitta´s eyes on him and knew his daughter was picking up something no one else would be aware yet, she was as observing as her mother had been, sometimes too observing, it could be unnerving if a ten year old girl was better at reading him than he was himself.

He quickly drew his eyes away from Maria and focussed on his children instead.

"Everyone go and wash up for lunch, Frau Schmidt promised Salzburger Nockerln for dessert."

The children squealed with delight and Georg stepped out of the way when all seven ran for the door.

Maria got up more slowly, laughing when she saw the captain´s alarmed expression.

"You know how they are, they simply love sweets- I´ll go and see if the little ones need help with anything."

"I think they will be fine on their own- just come outside with me, you deserve some minutes for yourself."

She looked surprised but when he offered her his arm she took it hesitantly and he led her out of the room, thinking that today the girl looked really pretty in a light summer dress she had made from the material he had ordered for her- her hair gleamed golden in the sun when they stepped out onto the terrace.

Frau Schmidt had just finished setting the table and Georg noticed that there were only ten plates rather then eleven.

"Isn´t Frau Schräder going to join us?"

He asked his housekeeper and then older woman shook her head.

"The baroness asks to be excused, she isn´t feeling too well."

"Another headache?"

Georg almost sighed, Elsa made a hobby of coming up with several minor illnesses as excuses to stay in bed all day when she felt like it.

"I believe so, Sir, she is sleeping now."

The housekeeper left and Georg pulled back a chair for Maria.

"Fräulein, would you like a glass of wine?"

"No, Captain, thank you, I´ll have water."

"As you wish."

He poured water for her and handed her the glass, their hands touched briefly and Georg felt Max´s amused gaze upon himself.

Georg looked at his friend who grinned at him and nodded towards Maria who had blushed furiously and was now sipping her ice cold water in an obvious attempt to hide her embarrassment.

"So, Fräulein, how are the puppets coming along?"

Max asked Maria who looked up from her water glass.

"Oh, it´s splendid, the children are so enthusiastic about it- we are already planning for our first show at the weekend."

"I´m looking forward to that" Max nodded, "those children are so wonderfully talented and you have just the way to bring out the very best of it."

Maria blushed again at the complement and Max laughed, patting the young woman´s arm.

"Modesty is a virtue, I know but you are truly marvelous as a governess, Georg will come to see that in time."

"What makes you think I haven´t already?"

The captain couldn´t stop himself from asking and he regretted it instantly as Max looked triumphant back at him.

Of course, his friend always enjoyed provoking reactions he desired from people surrounding him- and Georg had already noticed that Max had picked up the strange tension between himself and Maria, a tension Georg himself couldn´t really comprehend yet.

The children came out onto the terrace and Martha instantly scrambled into the seat next to Maria.

"Where were you?"

Georg turned to his daughter before Maria could answer.

"I told Fräulein Maria that you could get ready for lunch by yourself just once."

"Oh- are we going back to the puppets later?"

"Yes, Martha" Maria assured the little girl and Martha´s face lit up.

"Are we really going to put a whole play together?"

"Of course, darling, just like I said- now eat your soup, it´s getting all cold."


End file.
